Head and neck support device

ABSTRACT

A head and neck support device for use by a person wearing a helmet. The head and neck support device include a pair of flexible shoulder straps, a stiff carrier structure and a pair of tethering systems. The shoulder straps are each configured to fit a torso and different shoulder of a person. The stiff carrier structure includes a U-shaped yoke ( 18 ) and a high collar ( 20 ) which is hingedly connected to the yoke ( 18 ). The carrier structure includes an upper attachment formation near an upper end of each front carrier portion for attachment to a different one of the shoulder straps and a lower attachment formation near a lower end of each front carrier portion for attachment to a different one of the shoulder straps. The tethering systems include tether straps ( 44 ) which extend between the carrier structure and the helmet for providing a restraint between the carrier structure and the helmet.

FIELD OF INVENTION

This invention relates to a head and neck support device for use by a person wearing a helmet.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

According to the invention, there is provided a head and neck support device for use by a person wearing a helmet, the head and neck support device including:

a pair of flexible shoulder straps which are each configured to fit a torso and different shoulder of the person;

a stiff carrier structure including a pair of front carrier portions which are configured to extend over the shoulders and torso of the person and which are spaced above the shoulder straps; and a high collar connected between the front portions, which is locatable adjacent and behind the neck of the person, the carrier structure including an upper attachment formation near an upper end of each front carrier portion for attachment to a different one of the shoulder straps and a lower attachment formation near a lower end of each front carrier portion for attachment to a different one of the shoulder straps; and

tethering means extending between the carrier structure and the helmet for providing a restraint between the carrier structure and the helmet.

The front carrier portions of the carrier structure of the head and neck support device may be hingedly mounted to the high collar thereby permitting articulation of the front carrier portions relative to the high collar.

The carrier of the head and neck support device may include a U-shaped yoke which includes said front carrier portions and an integral rear carrier portion which extends behind the high collar relative to the person.

The high collar of the head and neck support device may extend between a lower position at about the base of the person's neck and an upper position adjacent a horizontal level centre of gravity of the head of the person and helmet combined, which is disposed at about eye level of the person.

The tethering means of the head and neck support device may include a first tethering system including a pair of tethering straps attachable between the helmet at one side thereof and the carrier structure and a second tethering system including a pair of tethering straps attachable between the helmet at the other side thereof and the carrier structure.

One of the tethering straps of each tethering system of the head and neck support device may be attachable between the helmet and the collar so as to provide a restraint between the collar and the helmet in a substantially horizontal direction, while the other tethering strap may be attachable between the helmet and the collar so as to provide a restraint between the front carrier portion and the helmet in a substantially vertical direction.

The tethering straps of each tethering system of the head and neck support device may be attached to the helmet at a common attachment point.

The head and neck support device may be adapted for use by an occupant of a vehicle wearing a shoulder harness having two shoulder belts, the shoulder belts of the shoulder harness being received, in use, in a position between the shoulder straps and the front carrier portions of the head and neck support device, the front carrier portions of the carrier structure including belt locating means for locating and holding the shoulder belts relative to the carrier structure in said position between the shoulder straps and the front carrier portions.

The locating means of the head and neck support device may include a pair of first locating formations which are integral with the collar and which define channels within which a different one of the shoulder belts can be located; and a pair of second locating formations which are defined near lower ends of the front carrier portions in which a different one of the shoulder belts can be located.

The head and neck support device may be adapted for use with a shoulder harness of a type comprising two shoulder belts and a restraint which is connected between the shoulder belts causing the shoulder belts to extend towards one another from an upper region thereof towards a lower region thereof in a substantially V-shaped configuration, the second locating formations of the belt locating means each being in the form of a U-shaped locating formation in which a different one of the shoulder belts can be received and defining an open end which faces outwards away from the other one of the second locating formations.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Further features of the invention are described hereinabove by way of a non-limiting example of the invention, with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying diagrammatic drawings. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 shows a schematic perspective view of a head and neck support device for use by a person wearing a helmet, in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 shows a schematic front view of the head and neck support device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 shows a schematic rear view of the head and neck support device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 shows a schematic side view of the head and neck support device of FIG. 1, showing the manner in which the yoke is hingedly displaceable relative to the high collar;

FIG. 5 shows a schematic perspective view of the yoke and collar mounting formation of the head and neck support device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 shows a schematic perspective view of the head and neck support device, illustrating the manner in which the shoulder belts of a shoulder harness are located thereon; and

FIG. 7 shows a schematic side view of the head and neck support device of FIG. 1, illustrating its mode of use by an occupant of a high speed performance vehicle seated in a vehicle seat and wearing a shoulder harness.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

With reference to the drawings, a head and neck support device, in accordance with the invention, is designated generally by the reference numeral 10. The head and neck support device 10 is specifically adapted for use by a person 12 wearing a helmet 14. The device 10 comprises, broadly, a pair of flexible shoulder straps 16.1 and 16.2, a stiff carrier structure including a U-shaped yoke 18 and a high collar 20 which is hingedly connected to the yoke 18 and tethering means in the form of a pair of tethering systems 22.1 and 22.2.

In this example, the head and neck support device 10 is used by a person 12 who is an occupant of a high performance vehicle seated in a rigid seat 24. The person 12 in this instance, is strapped in the seat by means of a shoulder harness having two shoulder belts 26.1 and 26.2 which are mounted to a backwall of the cockpit of the vehicle and which extend through holes defined therefor in the rigid seat 24 over the shoulder and front torso of the person 12 where the shoulder belts are united on the chest of the person by a central buckle of the harness. The shoulder belts extend towards one another from upper regions to lower regions thereof, so as to define a V-shape.

The yoke 18 comprises a pair of front carrier portions 28.1 and 28.2 which are shaped and configured to extend over the shoulders and torso of the person 12, and an integral rear carrier portion 30 which extends behind the high collar 20 relative to the person. The front carrier portions 28.1 and 28.2 of the yoke 18 terminate at lower ends 32.1 and 32.2, respectively. The front carrier portions 28.1 and 28.2 include strap attachment formations 34.1 and 34.2 at their lower ends to which the shoulder straps 16.1 and 16.2, respectively, are attached.

The head and helmet combined of the person 12 have a horizontal level centre of gravity which is disposed at about eye level. The high collar 20 extends between a lower position at about the base of the person's neck and an upper position adjacent the horizontal level centre of gravity of the head and helmet combined of the person. The collar 20 is curved to conform to the shape of the head and helmet of the person 12.

The carrier structure includes a pair of shoulder belt locating formations 36.1 and 36.2 which are integrally formed with the collar 20 and which each extend laterally outwardly from a lower side region of the collar. Each belt locating formation 36 defines a channel formation in which a particular one of the shoulder belts 26.1 and 26.2 is located. The yoke 18, the collar 20 and the belt locating formations 36 formed integrally therewith, are preferably constructed of a lightweight, durable, stiff material such as carbon fibre composite or a high impact resistant plastic material. It will be appreciated that the yoke 18, although being stiff, has a degree of resilient flexibility.

The yoke 18 is pivotally connected to the collar 20 by means of pivot pins 38 thereby permitting articulation of the yoke 18 relative to the collar 20 in a substantially vertical plane. With reference to FIG. 4 of the drawings, the manner in which the yoke 18 is pivotally displaceable relative to the high collar, is illustrated. In use, articulation of the yoke 18 relative to the collar 20 permits the position of the yoke to be altered relative to the high collar, thereby to accommodate different reclining positions of the person 12 and also persons having different anatomical shapes.

The shoulder straps 16.1 and 16.2 are of webbing material and are each configured to be located on a different shoulder of the person and to extend downwardly along the front portion of the person. The shoulder straps are flexible so as to permit bending and twisting and as such, are thus configured to conform to the anatomical shape of the shoulder and front torso of the person 12. The shoulder straps are, however, not extendable along their lengths and as such, do not provide for any elongation. Upper ends of the shoulder straps 16.1 and 16.2 are fixedly secured to the belt locating formations 36.1 and 36.2, respectively. The straps 16.1 and 16.2 are spaced below the front carrier portions 28.1 and 28.2, respectively. The shoulder straps 16.1 and 16.2 each carry a buckle 40 for locating the shoulder belts 26.1 and 26.2 relative to the shoulder straps 16.1 and 16.2, respectively.

The front carrier portions 28.1 and 28.2 of the yoke 18 define channel-shaped belt locating formations 42.1 and 42.2 at their ends 32.1 and 32.2, respectively, within which the shoulder belts 26.1 and 26.2, respectively, are received. More specifically, the belt locating formations 42.1 and 42.2 define channel formations which face outwardly away from each other. The belt locating formations 42.1 and 42.2 thus frictionally engage inner sides of the shoulder belts received therein, thus pretensioning the shoulder belts in similar fashion to that provided by a taper-lock system.

The tethering systems 22.1 and 22.2 are attachable to the helmet 14 at left and right sides thereof, respectively. The tethering system 22.1 includes tether straps 44.1 and 44.2 which are fixedly connected to a catch 46 for releasable attachment to a post anchor attached to the left side of the helmet. Similarly, the tethering system 22.2 includes tether straps 45.1 and 45.2 which are connected to a catch 46 for releasable attachment to a post anchor attached to the right side of the helmet. The tether straps 44.1 and 45.1 are connected, in use, between the collar 20 and the helmet 14 so that the tether straps 44.1 and 45.1 provide a restraint between the collar 20 and the helmet 14 in a substantially horizontal direction at or slightly below the horizontal level centre of gravity of the head and helmet combined, of the person 12. The tether straps 44.2 and 45.2 are connected between mounting formations 43.1 and 43.2 on each of the front carrier portions 28.1 and 28.2, respectively, and the helmet 14 so that the tether straps 44.2 and 45.2 provide a restraint between the front carrier portions and the helmet in a substantially vertical direction. The tethers are connected in such a way as to allow side to side turning motion of the head of the person. The lengths of the tether straps allow the person to have forward and lateral field of view. The tether straps 44.1 and 45.1 form two parts of a single strap which extends behind the collar at an upper region thereof. The tether straps are attachable to the helmet at positions which conform to the design specifications prescribed by the Homologated Motorsport Authority Specification.

The device 10 includes a tether strap locating formation 50 which is fixedly secured to a rear side of the collar 20 and which defines a horizontally-extending channel 52 within which the single strap is received. More specifically, the strap locating formation 50 include central frictional gripping formations 54 defining an internal passage through which the single strap passes and which frictionally engages the strap thereby frictionally resisting displacement of the tether strap along the channel formation 52. By providing a horizontal single strap, increased movement of the person's head from side to side is permitted while at the same time restricting motion in a direction away from the collar. The frictional gripping formations 54 are operable to frictionally engage the single strap at relatively high accelerations of the strap, thereby preventing movement of the strap along the channel formation 52, while permitting relative movement of the strap along the channel formation 52, at relatively low accelerations of the strap.

The collar 20 defines a set of pairs of mounting holes 60 and the yoke 18 defines a pair of mounting holes 62. The collar is fixedly releasably mounted to the yoke by a pair of mounting pins 64 protruding through an aligned pair of collar mounting holes and pair of yoke mounting holes.

In use, the device 10 is securely held in place by the shoulder belts 26.1 and 26.2 of the shoulder harness when the person is securely strapped in the vehicle. The shoulder belts 26.1 and 26.2 are located between the shoulder straps and the front carrier portions of the yoke.

The tether straps limit loading applied to the head and neck region of the person by providing a physical connection between the helmet and the carrier structure. As such, forces acting on the helmet and head of the person are transferred via the tether straps to the carrier structure and the shoulder straps onto the shoulder and front torso region of the person which in this case serves as an anchor.

It will be appreciated that the exact configuration of the head and neck support device in accordance with the invention, may vary greatly while still incorporating the essential features of the invention as described and defined hereinabove. It will also be appreciated that the embodiments described above were chosen in order to best explain the principles of the invention and the invention is not intended to be limited to the details described above since various modifications and structural changes may be made without departing in any way from the spirit of the invention. 

1. A head and neck support device for use by a person wearing a helmet, the head and neck support device including: a pair of flexible shoulder straps which are each configured to fit a torso and different shoulder of the person; a stiff carrier structure including a pair of front carrier portions which are configured to extend over the shoulders and torso of the person and which are spaced above the shoulder straps; and a high collar connected between the front portions, which is locatable adjacent and behind the neck of the person, the carrier structure including an upper attachment formation near an upper end of each front carrier portion for attachment to a different one of the shoulder straps and a lower attachment formation near a lower end of each front carrier portion for attachment to a different one of the shoulder straps; and tethering means extending between the carrier structure and the helmet for providing a restraint between the carrier structure and the helmet.
 2. The head and neck support device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the front carrier portions of the carrier structure are hingedly mounted to the high collar thereby permitting articulation of the front carrier portions relative to the high collar.
 3. The head and neck support device as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the carrier includes a U-shaped yoke which includes said front carrier portions and an integral rear carrier portion which extends behind the high collar relative to the person.
 4. The head and neck support device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the high collar extends between a lower position at about the base of the person's neck and an upper position adjacent a horizontal level centre of gravity of the head of the person and helmet combined, which is disposed at about eye level of the person.
 5. The head and neck support device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the tethering means includes a first tethering system including a pair of tethering straps attachable between the helmet at one side thereof and the carrier structure and a second tethering system including a pair of tethering straps attachable between the helmet at the other side thereof and the carrier structure.
 6. The head and neck support device as claimed in claim 5, wherein one of the tethering straps of each tethering system is attachable between the helmet and the collar so as to provide a restraint between the collar and the helmet in a substantially horizontal direction, while the other tethering strap may be attachable between the helmet and the collar so as to provide a restraint between the front carrier portion and the helmet in a substantially vertical direction.
 7. The head and neck support device as claimed in claim 6, wherein the tethering straps of each tethering system are attached to the helmet at a common attachment point.
 8. The head and neck support device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the head and neck support device is adapted for use by an occupant of a vehicle wearing a shoulder harness having two shoulder belts, the shoulder belts of the shoulder harness being received, in use, in a position between the shoulder straps and the front carrier portions of the head and neck support device, the front carrier portions of the carrier structure including belt locating means for locating and holding the shoulder belts relative to the carrier structure in said position between the shoulder straps and the front carrier portions.
 9. The head and neck support device as claimed in claim 8, wherein the locating means includes a pair of first locating formations which are integral with the collar and which define channels within which a different one of the shoulder belts can be located; and a pair of second locating formations which are defined near lower ends of the front carrier portions in which a different one of the shoulder belts can be located.
 10. The head and neck support device as claimed in claim 9, wherein the head and neck support device is adapted for use with a shoulder harness of a type comprising two shoulder belts and a restraint which is connected between the shoulder belts causing the shoulder belts to extend towards one another from an upper region thereof towards a lower region thereof in a substantially V-shaped configuration, the second locating formations of the belt locating means each being in the form of a U-shaped locating formation in which a different one of the shoulder belts can be received and defining an open end which faces outwards away from the other one of the second locating formations. 